Gastro

José Andrés’s trick for juicy meat

The Spanish chef reveals the trick to cooking steak like a pro - take note!
El chef José Andrés cocinando.

Click here to read the Spanish version.

Chef José Andrés is an inexhaustible source of cooking tips. The Asturian chef, in addition to owning dozens of restaurants around the world and working in humanitarian work with his foundation, also has several programmes and podcasts where he reveals many of his tips and recipes so that all his followers can apply them at home and have a more satisfying gastronomic experience. One of the latest tips he explained in his programme has to do with how to cook a grilled steak so that it is at its juiciest. Here are the simple tricks that José Andrés suggests.

The first thing to take into account, apart from the quality of the meat, of course, is the temperature of the meat. The chef advises taking the steak out of the fridge before cooking, preferably one or two hours beforehand, depending on the time of year. For him, it is important that the meat is in a place that has a similar temperature to the one at which it will be cooked.

The second key element is the frying pan we are going to use. According to José Andrés, it should be thick and wide, as “thick frying pans retain heat better”. In addition, it is better for the pan to be very hot when the meat is placed in it, as it will seal much better and retain all the juices inside.

Oil and salt are essential

With regard to the oil, the Asturian chef is in favour of adding a good amount, until the whole of the bottom is covered. With regard to the moment to salt the meat, José Andrés states that salt should not be added during the grilling process.

Finally, to finish cooking in the best possible way, it would be ideal to have a digital food thermometer at home. According to José Andrés, the final trick to ensure that the meat is at its juiciest is to remove it from the heat when it is at 48.8 ºC.